A special court sentenced deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years’ imprisonment and her niece, British MP Tulip Siddiq, to four years in two cases filed in connection with the Purbachal plot scam in Dhaka.
Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka also handed down seven-year prison terms to Hasina’s other niece Azmina Siddiq and nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, each in one of the two cases.
The court pronounced the verdicts around 12:20pm, said ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.
Apart from Hasina and her three family members, the court sentenced 11 other accused to 10 years’ imprisonment and another to two years in jail in the two cases.
In addition, six other accused were convicted for five years in jail in one case.
The court fined 14 accused, including Hasina and Tulip, Tk 2 lakh each; in default, they will have to serve one more year in jail.
It also fined the remaining eight accused, including Azmina and Bobby, Tk 1 lakh each; in default, they will have to serve six more months in jail.
Between November 27 and December 1 last year, Hasina was sentenced to 26 years’ rigorous imprisonment in the four graft cases. Her daughter Saima Wazed Putul and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and sister Sheikh Rehana and niece Tulip were also convicted in one of four cases each.
According to court records, the trials of each of the cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) were completed within 15 hearings.
A total of 39 people testified in the cases during the trial, show court documents.
Among others, the witnesses include three ACC officials, three assistant directors and one office assistant of Rajuk, one joint secretary and three employees of the housing and public works ministry, four employees of Dhaka North City Corporation, and three employees of the Chief Adviser’s Office.
Apart from 78-year-old Hasina and her three family members, the accused include former housing and public works state minister Sharif Ahmed; former secretaries Shahid Ullah Khandaker and Kazi Washi Uddin; former additional secretary Md Oliullah; former administrative officer Saiful Islam Sarkar; and former senior assistant secretary Purabi Goldar.
The other accused are Rajuk’s former chairman Anisur Rahman Miah; former members Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Tanmoy Das, Mohammad Nasir Uddin, Shamsuddin Ahmod Chowdhury and Nurul Islam; incumbent director Kamrul Islam; former director Sheikh Shahinul Islam; former deputy director Nayeb Ali Sharif; former assistant directors Mazharul Islam and Faria Sultana; and the Prime Minister’s Office’s former secretary Mohammad Salahuddin.
Between November 27 and December 1 last year, Hasina was sentenced to 26 years’ rigorous imprisonment in four graft cases. Her daughter Saima Wazed Putul and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and sister Sheikh Rehana and niece Tulip were also convicted in one of the four cases each.
From January 12 to 14 last year, the ACC lodged six separate cases with its Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project.
On March 25 last year, the ACC filed six charge sheets with the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court in Dhaka, where Hasina was named as a common accused in all six cases.
On July 31 the same year, charges were framed against 29 people, including Hasina, Rehana, Joy, Putul, Bobby, Tulip and Azmina, in their respective cases.
The anti-graft body alleged that Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, unlawfully secured six plots — each measuring 10 kathas — in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project for herself, Putul, Joy, Rehana, Bobby and Azmina, despite their ineligibility under existing regulations.
Tulip influenced Hasina to get plots for her mother, brother and sister, said ACC documents.
